Kilmessan"s title

INSPIRED by a majestic display by Stephen Clynch, Kilmessan once again demonstrated that they are the kings of Meath hurling when they defeated Kildalkey in an absorbing Jubilee Cup final replay on Sunday. To win a final there are certain demands placed on any team. A mental strength, the ability to absorb what the opponents have to offer before hitting back to close out the game with all the armoury at your disposal. Kilmessan are past masters in how to do the business on the big day and they did it again in this showdown claiming their 28th SHC crown at Pairc Tailteann with a late flourish that confirmed them as genuine champions. When they needed to, they were able to move up a gear and subdue the spirited resistance of a Kildalkey side who looked like they were about to spark another late revival only to be denied in the tense closing stages. Yet again Kildalkey have fallen at the final hurdle, but they can take some consolation from the fact that they contributed to a classic encounter that kept the bumper crowd enthralled throughout. This was a little gem of a game full of honest endeavour, some silky skills and goalmouth skirmishes. It was real edge-of-the-seat stuff and there was no-one heading for the exits until stoppage time. By that stage it was clear that we had a 'winner alright" and it was not going to be Kildalkey. This was a much better game than the drawn encounter with the play flowing and Kilmessan showing all the guile and experience required to close out the game. Kilmessan played a lot better than in the drawn encounter producing the type of fast hurling that has been their hallmark, closing down opponents, hunting in packs. Their workrate was ferocious, their discipline tight. Players who didn"t perform the first day found their rhythm on this occasion, discovering a groove that Kildalkey, despite all their heroic efforts, simply couldn"t match, especially in the hectic last 10 minutes. Standing head and shoulders above the rest was Clynch who gave a masterful display at centre-back. Kildalkey simply couldn"t find a way past him and a series of high catches executed by the Meath player in the tense closing minutes were the final flourishes of a first-class, barnstorming display. There was also a late point he popped over striding forward to slot between the posts from long range. There were other players who performed well for the winners including Joey Keena who knocked over three points, two coming inside the final three minutes. Ger O"Neill and Peter Farrell made it very difficult for Kildalkey to get a foothold in midfield while Kevin Keena covered acres of ground. Only briefly in the first-half did Kildalkey lead. Padraig Geoghegan and Padraig Keogh each dug out excellent points from play and these scores added to one superbly struck long-range free from Noel Kirby put them 0-3 to 0-2 in front after seven minutes. Gradually, Kilmessan started to impose their iron will on the game, grinding out the scores with sufficient efficiency to build up an interval lead of 0-8 to 0-4. With the wind at their backs Kilmessan always looked the most likely lads to take the prize at that stage. Nicky Horan was once again Kilmessan"s topscorer with six points, four of them from frees, while Clynch, Ger O"Neill, Anton O"Neill and Kevin Keena were others who contributed to the win. The Kilmessan defence also played their part, particularly for a sustained spell in the second-half when Kildalkey had the force with them and were looking like they might go on to win. Kilmessan had to absorb a lot of pressure in the second-half, however, with Clynch at his imperious best Kildalkey could not translate plenty of possession onto the scoreboard. There were very few occasions when the Kilmessan defence looked like crumbling. Kildalkey"s best chance of a goal came in the final minute when Nick Fitzgerald was put through by Ger Geoghegan. Fitzgerald took a second to set himself up to fire goalwards, however, in that time he was closed down and the chance was gone, the reaction of the Kilmessan defence showing a lot about their attitude. What do Kildalkey have to do to win a final? Their driving, relentless running meant that they were always in contention in this game, until the closing minutes. They just couldn"t take that extra step needed. They struggled to get the ball into the forwards consistently enough to force more errors from the Kilmessan backline. Only two of the six starting Kildalkey forwards - Padraig Geoghegan and Kirby - managed to get on the scoresheet. Geoghegan was the only forward who managed to score from play, both points in the first half were neatly taken from long distance. Kildalkey were not short of players who thrived in the tight, competitive situations that developed all over the pitch throughout the afternoon. Stephen Forde and Enda Keogh formed a solid defensive spine sweeping up a lot of ball between them. It was a testament to Kidalkey"s workrate at the back that Kilmessan were unable to create a clear-cut goal opportunity. Sean Corrigan gave another powerhouse display while Mairtin Doran came more into the game as the afternoon wore on. Despite facing into the stiff breeze, Kildalkey were more cohesive and threatening after the break putting their opponents under pressure for long spells. Kirby set them on the way after the resumption when he fired over a free from an awkward angle, similar to the late point he bagged the previous week. Kirby converted another free soon after before Tony Fox gave a glimpse of what he is capable of by powering his way past a number of opponents before slotting over for a fine individual point on 48 minutes. Three minutes later Enda Keogh registered a first-class score from distance. The stand shook with the cheers of the large Kildalkey support. They had justifiable hope in their hearts that their team was poised to push on, while the Kilmessan fans had reasons to be concerned. Instead, Kilmessan showed the resilience and mental toughness required to survive the storm. Instead of wilting, they slipped into a higher gear and pulled away with two rousing points from Joey Keena, with Clynch and Horan putting the finishing touches to another glorious occasion for the kingpins of Meath hurling. SCORERS Kilmessan - N Hora 0-6, four frees; J Keena 0-3; S Clynch 0-1; G O"Neill 0-1; A O"Neill 0-1; K Keena 0-1. Kildalkey - N Kirby 0-3, three frees; P Geoghegan 0-2; E Keogh 0-1; T Fox 0-1; P Keogh 0-1. THE TEAMS Kilmessan - M Brennan; P McGovern, D Donnelly, V Reilly; M Horan, S Clynch, M Reilly; G O"Neill, P Farrell; N Horan, P Reynolds, J Keena; M Doyle, A O"Neill, K Keena. Subs- C Keena for V Reilly 22 mins; K Reilly for A O"Neill 56m. Kildalkey - G McNally; E Potterton, S Forde, D Lahart; S Corrigan, E Keogh, M Doran; T Fox, P Keogh; C Dunne, M Keogh, N Kirby; P Geoghegan, S Heavey, D Fagan. Subs - D Brady for Dunne 14 mins; N Fitzgerald for Fagan 36m; G Kelly for M Keogh 43m; M Potterton for Heavey 57m; G Geoghegan for Brady 52m. REFEREE Fergus Smith (Blackhall Gaels).